Fuel cell studies with neutrons at the PSI's neutron imaging facilities

The aim of the current study is on water distribution inside and near the gas diffusion layers around the membrane (“in-plane” study). Because this region is normally only about 200 μm wide, a very high spatial resolution is required for this kind of studies.PSI managed to build a neutron imaging setup with a stationary detection system providing best-possible conditions for high-resolution investigations [8]. However, the field of view is adapted accordingly to 27 mm only. Using a special arrangement by tilting the detection plane in one direction, it ends up with nominal 2.5 μm per pixel. The real resolution was found to be about 20 μm in the relevant direction across the fuel cell plane [9].This work will present this new setup and summarize the first promising results from fuel cell studies around the membrane region. Despite these good results with high spatial resolution, other options in fuel cell research can be used at the PSI neutron imaging facilities. Due to the large beam diameter (40 cm circular) full size cells can be studied under various conditions with moderate special and time resolution.